The 11 Best Mindfulness Books of 2022
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Research shows that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and raise your quality of life.
- Best overall: Wherever You Go, There You Are
- Best for beginners: The Miracle of Mindfulness
- Best for mindfulness exercises: How to Train a Wild Elephant
- Best workbook: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
- Best journal: Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Best coloring book: Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Best for anxiety: Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Best for kids: My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Best for teens: Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day
- Best for parents and guardians: Growing Up Mindful
- Best memoir: Into the Magic Shop
If you’re looking for a book on mindfulness these days, you’ll have to climb a mountain. A mountain of books, that is.
And you’ll find them rooted in almost every field imaginable — from health to education to psychotherapy, even fashion!
We’ve climbed the mountain of mindfulness books and picked out 11 of the best. They’re all good for different reasons. If you want a beginner’s book, or one to help your anxiety, or one to help your family handle stress, we’ve got it picked out for you.
In this list, you’ll find mindfulness instruction, the science behind it, lots of exercises to try, and even an inspiring memoir. If you want a break from reading, try an audiobook, a journal, or even a coloring book.
Mindfulness is the simple concept of paying attention to the moment. It has been more fully defined by the pioneering mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, who said:
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Mindfulness has been shown to have wide-reaching health benefits:
- One
study found mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to be as effective as maintenance antidepressants for preventing depressive relapse. - A
clinical trial showed that a mindfulness-based program adapted to participants with elevated blood pressure helped to reduce both blood pressure and stress. - Another
study reported that people reporting high levels of mindfulness also reported more positive states of mind and lower levels of depression and anxiety.
You can practice mindfulness in many forms, from a few private moments at your desk to a variety of in-person and online courses. Other places to practice what you learn in these mindfulness books include:
- online groups
- workshops
- movement classes
- workplace training
And, of course, you can always learn more by picking up a new book.
Our first concern in picking these books was variety. People approach mindfulness at all levels of experience and for all kinds of reasons. So we wanted different books to match your reasons: one for the beginners, one for those who want to learn new exercises, one for kids, one for parents, and so on.
We also made sure that the books we selected have:
- authors experienced in their field
- a steady sales history
- generally good — often outstanding! — reviews
- accurate content about mindfulness
A note on price
General price ranges with dollar signs ($ to $$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is rather affordable, whereas two dollar signs indicates a higher price range.
Prices for the physical format, most commonly paperback, were used for the price comparison, whenever possible. Most of the books also have Kindle and audio editions, which may increase or decrease the price slightly.
Pricing guide:
- $ = under or at $15
- $$ = over $15
Best overall
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
- Price: $
- Written by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
This is a one-size-fits-all mindfulness handbook that will teach you the concepts, get you started with exercises, and sit on your bedside table as a welcome reference. The chapters are short and self-contained, so you can dip in wherever you want.
It was written by author and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1994 and has remained a bestseller and classic. Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, which was then associated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
He has written many other mindfulness books, the best-known one being “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness,” which is full of research and recommended applications. It’s the book that ushered mindfulness into medical and scientific circles.
This shorter book is directed to a wider audience and is meant to provide a “brief and easy access to the essence of mindfulness,” Kabat-Zinn writes. “Full Catastrophe Living” is directed toward people with serious medical problems, stress, and chronic pain.
You can also purchase the accompanying “Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2” audiobook or audio CD containing mindfulness exercises narrated by Kabat-Zinn designed to complement the book.
What we like
- has short, self-contained chapters
- offers entertaining personal stories from the author
- features personally led mindfulness exercises in text or audio
Best for beginners
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
- Price: $
- Written by: Thich Nhat Hanh
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who played a key role in introducing mindfulness to the Western world. This book, first published in 1975, has aged well. It has many different editions available, plus accompanying online meditation exercises. Thay, as he is known, has also written 100 other books in his lifetime.
This book is regarded as a classic and is beloved for its kind and lightly humorous tone. It advocates the expansion of meditation into action through mindful speaking, acting, working, and engaging the world.
It has seven short chapters introducing mindfulness meditation and one long chapter containing exercises to start you in your practice and provide a reference for the future. The book features 11 black-and-white drawings by Vo-Dinh Mai.
Some exercises involve sitting and focusing on the body or breath. Others will help you practice mindfulness during daily activities, for example:
- “Following your breath while carrying on a conversation”
- “Washing the dishes”
- “A slow-motion bath”
- “Cleaning house”
You can also access exercises, meditations, and guided relaxations on the author’s Plum Village website, or on the free app, Plum Village: Zen Guided Meditation & Mindfulness.
What we like
- is easy to read and understand
- features beautiful drawings
- offers engaging exercises and storytelling
Best for mindfulness exercises
How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness
- Price: $
- Written by: Jan Chozen Bays
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, MP3 CD
This is the kind of book you keep on your table or put in your bag and carry with you. You pull it out whenever you’re waiting in the grocery checkout line or the dentist’s office — any time you have a minute to spare. You can pick one of the 53 mindfulness exercises and enjoy a quiet, calming moment with yourself.
The author Jan Chozen Bays is a physician and Zen teacher at the Great Vow Monastery in Oregon. Her tone in the book is kind, often humorous, and always engaging. Each exercise includes tips on how to remind yourself of it later, plus a short story or lesson connected with it. Examples of exercises include:
- taking three deep breaths before answering the phone
- looking deeply into food
- breathing deeply once before you leave a space (like a room, car, or building)
If you prefer to listen to the exercises instead of reading them, there is a CD version available.
What we like
- presents exercises that involve daily activities
- written in a personal, friendly approach
- has an author experienced in teaching
Best workbook
A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, revised second edition
- Price: $$
- Written by: Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This is a workbook to teach yourself mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a program developed by mindfulness author and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, which is taught in clinics around the world. The revised second edition of this workbook includes new meditations and audio downloads, plus content revisions.
MBSR is designed to reduce symptoms of:
This workbook is not about getting rid of stressors in your life, but rather developing healthier ways of dealing with them.
On the publisher’s book website, you can listen to mindfulness meditations, yoga instructions, and breathing exercises. You can also download a number of accessories to the book including meditation transcripts, practice logs, and worksheets.
Author Bob Stahl, PhD, is a longtime mindfulness practitioner who lived in a Zen monastery and now directs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs in three medical centers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Co-author Elisha Goldstein, PhD, founded the online mindfulness space Mindful Living Collective. He also co-founded the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles and created an online coaching program, A Course in Mindful Living.
What we like
- can be done on your own or incorporated into a course
- written by experienced mindfulness practitioners
- has accompanying audio exercises and workbook accessories available online
Best journal
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Price: $
- Written by: Meera Lee Patel
- Formats: journal, spiral-bound
This is an interactive journal designed to help you learn and practice mindfulness through supportive prompts, exercises, and inspirational quotes. There is plenty of blank space to encourage your personal writing or drawing.
The artwork in the journal includes hand-lettering and images in vibrant colors. The mood is uplifting, and the quotes inspire meditation and self-acceptance.
For many of us, keeping a journal has been popular ever since we as children got our first diary, lockable with a key. Now many people use journals for self-exploration and expression.
In the last decade, research has revealed the many mental health benefits of journaling, often called expressive writing. One
What we like
- features bright, vibrant colors
- offers inspirational quotes
- presents logs with room for personal writing and drawing
Best coloring book
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Price: $
- Illustrated by: Johanna Basford
- Formats: paperback
This is the book credited with bringing coloring books into the adult world. Although there have been other coloring books for adults, this book turned it into a genre and brought it into the mainstream.
It brought adults the engrossing focus and joy that kids remember from coloring a picture with individual colors that only they decide. This is where mindfulness comes in. Focus and joy are good descriptions of mindfulness itself.
Research in the past decade has found that coloring can reduce anxiety, as well as improve both mindful attention and creative stimulation. Researchers say more study is needed to determine how helpful coloring is for high levels of anxiety, and how long the benefits last.
This coloring book has detailed pictures of flowers, garden benches and pagodas, and secret garden places. There are pictures to color, mazes to travel, patterns to complete, and lots of blank spaces for you to add your own drawings.
There are also hidden items to find in the elaborate drawings. The book opens with a list of things to be found, including:
- 63 beetles
- 20 songbirds
- 116 butterflies
- 1 shark
This book was on top of the New York Times bestseller list. It led to a whole series of coloring books by Basford. If you’d like to see more, try “Enchanted Forest,” “Magical Jungle,” or “Worlds of Wonder.” And there are coloring tutorials on Basford’s blog, like this one on How to Color Flowers.
Coloring has become so popular that people often meet online to share info and projects. You may be able to find one near you on this list of coloring meetups.
What we like
- features lovely intricate drawings
- is a fun treasure hunt
- can be used anywhere
Best for anxiety
Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Price: $
- Created by: Claire Weekes
- Formats: audiobook, audio CD
This is an eight-part radio series broadcast in the United States by the Australian doctor Claire Weekes in 1967. She coaches you personally and compassionately about how to overcome anxiety, phobias, and panic. This instruction is mindfulness before mindfulness became a household word.
We recommend this title primarily because of the remarkable intimacy and support you feel from Dr. Weekes, even though she passed away in 1990. When she describes how she has heard a parrot in St. Louis “strike his beak against the cage” in the background of a phone consultation, you almost feel she could be on the other end of the phone line with you, too.
Her fresh approach of “face, accept, float, let time pass,” struck a chord in popular audiences. Her three books about accepting and passing through panic and anxiety moved into the bestseller lists in the United States and the United Kingdom from the early 1960s onwards.
Her compassion has awakened hope and optimism for those who feel trapped by anxiety. As one patient wondered: “How can you know exactly what’s going on inside me when we don’t know each other?” Weekes’s reply is reassuring to many who have felt bewildered by the symptoms of anxiety: “I don’t need to know the patient. I know the illness very well.”
What we like
- has a personal, compassionate approach
- is short enough to listen to in one sitting: 1 hr 55 mins
- changed the lives of many reviewers
Best for kids
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Price: $
- Written by: Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
- Formats: hardcover, audiobook
This is a book that shows children mindfulness by leading them in interactive mindful breathing. In one exercise, they take a deep breath and blow their “magic breath” full of happy feelings out onto the page. Later, they’re led to use their happy breath to blow difficult emotions “right off the page.”
This book is a good reminder for kids (and adults too!) that the simple act of taking a deep breath can help you enjoy your “happy times,” or feel calm when you’re not so happy. The book leads kids through several deep breaths and one big yawn before going to sleep.
For example, in one exercise, the book asks, “What happened today that made you smile?” Then it encourages you, saying, “Take a big breath in and picture that moment in your mind.” And it finishes up with, “Let’s blow out all those happy thoughts on the page. Now that looks like happiness!”
This book is intended for children ages 2 to 6 years old. It’s especially useful at the end of the day when youngsters might be overwhelmed by thoughts or worries and unable to sleep.
What we like
- is fun and enjoyable for kids to practice on their own, or have read to them
- encourages interactive practice using the “magic breath” to blow away unhappy feelings
- has vibrant watercolor drawings of the magic breath
Best for teens
Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day: Exercises to Feel Calm, Stay Focused & Be Your Best Self
- Price: $
- Written by: Jennie Marie Battistin
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, audiobook
This is a small book that you can stash in your school backpack and have with you all day. Alternatively, you could get the Kindle edition and have it on your phone. The point is that it’s portable, easy, and quick. You can do each of the exercises in 10 minutes.
The exercises are designed to help particularly with anxiety and sleep issues, but they can also help generate an easy mind in general. Exercises are categorized for morning, midday, and night.
This book is positioned for teens, but college students and adults leave appreciative reviews as well. You can open the book anywhere and find a useful exercise. They’re simple and easy to remember when you need them.
What we like
- has simple exercises that are easy to remember
- exercises involve relevant teen issues like connecting with friends and succeeding at school
- has fun exercise names, like “Superhero Stance” and “Butterfly Hug”
Best for parents
Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience
- Price: $
- Written by: Christopher Willard
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This book helps parents, caregivers, educators, and counselors share the skills of mindfulness with children and teens. It offers 75 mindfulness exercises with adaptations to meet the needs of a wide range of ages. It has an appendix where you can match exercises to your child’s personality and emotional development.
This book can help kids increase curiosity, reduce anxiety, and soothe the pain of trauma. It helps kids (and adults) improve focus, decision-making, and response to stress. It introduces two unique positive responses to stress: “attending” and “befriending.”
It also has a chapter to help adults build the foundation of their own mindfulness practice.
What we like
- has a modern take on mindful use of social media and technology
- gets the whole family engaged in mindfulness
- summarizes information in illustrations and figures
Best memoir
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
- Price: $$
- Written by: James R. Doty
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
This book opens with a story of how the neurosurgeon author used meditation to help him save the life of a 4-year-old boy after a mistake by an assistant in the operating room.
The book is the story of Doty’s journey as a child of poverty, with a mother who lives with depression and a father with alcohol use disorder, to becoming a world-class brain surgeon, aided by meditation taught to him after school in a neighborhood magic shop. He details the meditation exercises at length, so you can learn them, too.
He describes in fine detail and drama how meditation awakened the compassion and kindness in him to found and direct the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Doty’s lyrical writing combined with his anchor in modern science propelled this memoir to the New York Times bestseller list. As mindfulness teacher John Kabat-Zinn remarked, the real magic here is that Doty could learn what is deepest and best about himself at the young age of 12, and never lose the thread thereafter.
What we like
- focuses on combined biological and spiritual healing
- presents a riveting story
- provides detailed meditation descriptions
Mindfulness practice can be a lifelong practice that offers many benefits for your mental and physical health. It can lift your mood, resilience, motivation, and overall sense of well-being.
Mindfulness books can get you started in your practice, or sit on your bedside table for you to pick up later whenever you need a boost in spirit or inspiration to carry on.
Once you get started, you may even wish to join a mindfulness meetup where you can join others online or in person. You’ll be able to share what you’ve learned so far and get advice on issues you might have. Who knows, you might even hear about a new mindfulness book!
Last medically reviewed on August 12, 2021
6 sources
- Crego A, et al. (2021). Relationships between mindfulness, purpose in life, happiness, anxiety, and depression: Testing a mediation model in a sample of women.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908241/ - Holt NJ, et al. (2019). Cognitive and affective benefits of colouring: Two randomized controlled crossover studies.
psyarxiv.com/r6w8v/ - Kabat-Zinn J. (2017). Jon Kabat-Zinn: Defining mindfulness.
mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness/ - Kuyken W, et al. (2019). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): A randomised controlled trial.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62222-4/fulltext - Loucks EB, et al. (2016). Mindfulness-based blood pressure reduction (MB-BP): Stage 1 single-arm clinical trial.
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223095 - Niles AN, et al. (2015). Effects of expressive writing on psychological and physical health: The moderating role of emotional expressivity.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3830620/
10 Areas That Mindfulness & Meditation Make Us Better
Mindfulness meditation helps keep you in the moment and provides physical and mental health benefits, too.
To many folks, mindfulness means being in the moment — right here, right now. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines mindfulness as the awareness of your internal states and surroundings.
Mindfulness meditation is the practice of focusing attention on your breathing, thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise. According to the APA, this meditation is used to become highly in tune with sensory information and to focus on each moment as it happens.
“Meditation is a cognitive technique that improves a person’s mind, body, and soul. Psychological aspects, like insight, attention, reflection, and self-regulation are deepened,” says Dr. Deborah Serani, professor at Adelphi University in New York.
“Meditation can also increase physical experiences, such as increase relaxation, fortify healing, recovery and a stronger immune response, as well as decrease pain, anxiety, stress, depression and blood pressure,” adds Serani.
Practicing mindfulness meditation may help you reap the following health benefits.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults 18–64 years old need about 7–9 hours of sleep a night. Those 65 and older can go with an hour less than that. Being sleep-deprived can wreak havoc on your body and mind.
“Mindfulness meditation has long been shown to help with insomnia and sleep habits,” says Serani.
According to a study published in
The researchers pointed out that meditation’s impact on sleep most likely has to do with the following:
- improves relaxation
- affects the autonomic nervous system, which impacts awakening
- increases production of the sleep hormone melatonin
- increases serotonin, which is released in the body before melatonin and helps regulate sleep-wake cycling
- reduces heart rate
- decreases blood pressure
- affects areas of the brain that control sleep
If managing your weight is difficult, practicing mindfulness might help.
According to a
- Weight loss interventions based on mindfulness were “moderately effective for weight loss” and “largely effective in reducing obesity-related eating behaviors.”
- People who participated in mindfulness programs and lost weight kept off the weight compared to those who participated in “lifestyle-change” programs.
The APA defines mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a therapeutic intervention of weekly group classes and daily home mindfulness exercises over an 8-week period.
A
MBSR also improved the following:
- Present moment awareness
- Personal accomplishment
- Occupational self-compassion
- Quality of sleep
- Relaxation
The effects of loneliness on health and mental health have come to the forefront in recent years. Research by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) reports that many adults 50 or older who are lonely have a higher chance of health complications, such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, anxiety, and suicide.
If you’re one of the 61% of adults feeling lonely, according to Cigna’s 2020 Loneliness Index, meditation might help ease your feelings.
Research published in BMC Psychology
Practicing mindfulness while you engage in movement-based behaviors, such as walking, standing, and sitting, can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.
According to a smartphone-based 14-day study of college students, mindfulness during movement-based behaviors was associated with lessened negative states.
“Meditation is awesome for your mental health. It can also improve positive thinking,” says Serani.
If you find it difficult to pay attention for long periods of time, meditation might enhance your focus. According to
If you live with a chronic condition, finding ways to manage it might include several interventions, such as medication and other therapies.
According to research, meditation may be one method to help with some conditions, such as fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and irritable bowel syndrome.
Depression is a serious condition that requires treatment from a qualified professional. In addition to medication and traditional psychotherapy,
Also, research conducted in 2019 of Brazilian university students found that while meditation training reduced depression and anxiety symptoms, participants needed to continue to meditate to experience the benefits.
Reduced anxiety was seen in people with high levels of anxiety who participated in an introductory session of mindfulness meditation, according to a 2018 study.
The researchers reported a reduction in anxiety in the first hour after the meditation session and significantly lower levels of anxiety 1 week after the session.
Also, the researchers found that a single mindfulness session may help to reduce cardiovascular risk in those with moderate anxiety as reduced stress on the arteries was shown an hour after the session. Researchers reported that this could help reduce stress on organs, such as the brain and kidneys, and help prevent high blood pressure.
“Meditation is not only great for your physical and psychological health, it can shift neural pathways and create positive brain changes,” says Serani. “Some science suggests meditation need not be something you have to practice for months or even years to reap major brain benefits. Taking a daily restful alertness break can change your brain for the better in as little as 11 hours.”
To determine if mindfulness could affect cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, a 2016 randomized clinical trial analyzed people with Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were observed over a two-year period as they attended weekly sessions of stimulation based on mindfulness, cognitive stimulation therapy, and progressive muscle relaxation.
The mindfulness group showed significant scores compared to the control and muscle relaxation groups and was on par with the cognitive stimulation therapy group.
Researchers determined that mindfulness could be an option to slow cognitive impairment in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mindfulness is about purposefully and fully leaning into the present moment: sounds, sensations, and your internal self. Meditation is a tool for that awareness practice.
Together, mindfulness and meditation can help reduce anxiety, body fat, chronic medical condition symptoms, depression relapse, dementia, loneliness, negative sentiments, and stress levels. Mindfulness meditation can also improve attention span, sleep, positivity, and overall peace of mind.
The practice is easy to implement and requires no accessories. It very well may be the single best supplement to your mind-body restoration.
You can learn how to get started with mindfulness meditation here.
Last medically reviewed on June 3, 2021
14 sources
- Aman MA, et al. (2018). Evidence-based non-pharmacological therapies for fibromyalgia.
link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11916-018-0688-2 - Black D, et al. (2015). Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: A randomized clinical trial.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110998 - Carpena M. (2018). The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032718310498?via%3Dihub - Carriere K. (2017). Mindfulness‐based interventions for weight loss: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12623 - Cearley S. (2017). Irritable bowel syndrome: The effect of FODMAPs and meditation on pain management.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876382017301014 - Janssen M, et al. (2018). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5783379/ - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System.
nap.edu/catalog/25663/social-isolation-and-loneliness-in-older-adults-opportunities-for-the - Hilton L, et al. (2017). Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
content.apa.org/record/2016-40084-001 - MacKenzie M. (2016). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: Trends and developments.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4876939/ - Norris C. (2018). Brief mindfulness meditation improves attention in novices: Evidence from ER PS and moderation by neuroticism.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088366/ - Quintana-Hernández DJ. (2016). Mindfulness in the maintenance of cognitive capacities in Alzheimer's disease: A randomized clinical trial.
content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad143009 - Saini G, et al. (2021). The effects of meditation on individuals facing loneliness: A scoping review | BMC Psychology.
bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-021-00585-8 - Serani D. (2021). Personal interview.
- Yang C. (2018). Momentary negative affect is lower during mindful movement than while sitting: An experience sampling study.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029217308178?via%3Dihub
The 6 Best Meditation Books of 2022
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Looking for a book to help guide you in your meditation journey? We’ve rounded up the top meditation books on the market.
Meditation is one of the most talked about practices in the mental health space because of its multitude of science-backed benefits.
Although the concept of meditation may seem quite straightforward — set aside time to focus the mind on the present moment and attempt to quiet all other thoughts — the practice itself can be challenging.
Some people suggest thinking of meditation as a skill and the brain as a muscle that needs to be worked and trained just like any other part of the body.
Still, if you’re just getting started, you may be unsure about where to begin, or you may find the practice harder than you expected. And even if you have some experience with meditation, it can be challenging to stick with it if you’re not noticing any immediate benefits.
A good way to stay inspired as you begin (or continue) your meditation journey is to read a meditation book. Reading about meditation may provide you with a resource you can turn to every day to keep you invested in your practice.
If you want to jump directly to the sections for each book, you can click the links below.
- Best overall: The Power of Now
- Best for science-lovers: The Mind Illuminated
- Best for beginners: Mindfulness in Plain English
- Best for meditation skeptics: 10% Happier
- Best for cultivating happiness: The Art of Happiness
- Best for depression: The Mindful Way Through Depression
Many types of meditation books exist, such as books focused on someone’s personal experience with meditation, the science behind it, advice for meditating, or even just written meditations you can follow along with.
We looked into more than 50 books on meditation and came up with our top six picks. We ensured that these books were diverse in topic so anyone could find what they were looking for on the list.
To narrow the list, we considered the following factors:
- reviews and ratings
- qualifications of the author
- number of copies sold
- readability and overall organization of the book
Plus, all books have been vetted to ensure they meet Psych Central’s medical, editorial, and business standards.
A note on price
General price ranges with dollar signs ($ to $$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is low cost, whereas two dollar signs indicate a higher price range.
Prices for the physical format, most commonly paperback, were used for the price comparison. Most of the books also have Kindle and audio editions, which may increase or decrease the price slightly.
Pricing guide:
- $ = under or at $15
- $$ = over $15
Best overall
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
- Price: $
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
“The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle is one of the most popular books in the meditation space.
This book is more philosophical than others on the list, as many of the chapters focus on the concept of the mind and of enlightenment.
Although Tolle’s book is quite philosophical and spiritual, it doesn’t adhere to any specific religion or doctrine, since Tolle believes each person’s journey to spiritual enlightenment is entirely personal.
You can think of this book as more of a spiritual self-help guide than a meditation book. It even includes exercises for you to try to begin your journey of personal growth.
Why we chose it as ‘best overall‘
If you’re looking for a book that helps you better understand the importance of not just meditation but all practices of self-reflection and remaining in the present, this is a good choice for you.
What we like
- inspiring
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- includes exercises to try at home
What to look out for
- may need to read more than once to understand topics
- not specific to meditation practices
Popular quote: “The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it. Another factor has come in, something that is not of the mind: the witnessing presence.”
Best for science lovers
The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness
- Price: $$
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
“The Mind Illuminated,” written by John Yates, Matthew Immergut, and Jeremy Graves, explores the science behind why meditation works and how to begin your practice.
The book follows the teachings of Buddhism and is a step-by-step guide for the various obstacles you must overcome to become fully mindful.
The book introduces a total of 10 steps as well as chapters between some of the steps that dive into the science of meditation and the Buddhist understanding of mindfulness.
Yates, the main author of the book, has some of the most impressive credentials on this list as he is both a neuroscientist and meditation master of more than 40 years.
Why we chose it as ‘best for science lovers‘
“The Mind Illuminated” is one of the best meditation books available for people looking for a science-based approach to meditation and overall mindfulness.
What we like
- step-by-step meditation guide
- science approach to meditation
- exceptional qualifications of the authors
What to look out for
- long (more than 500 pages)
- very little neuroscience actually included
Popular quote: “As paradoxical as it may seem, the craving to avoid suffering and pursue pleasure is the actual cause of suffering.”
Best for beginners
Mindfulness in Plain English
- Price: $
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
“Mindfulness in Plain English,” written by Bhante Gunaratana, is a highly accessible mindfulness and meditation book. It follows the practices of Buddhism and begins by exploring why everyone should meditate and what is and is not meditation.
The remainder of the book walks readers through how to approach meditation and the various challenges they may encounter when beginning their practice.
Why we chose it as ‘best for beginners‘
This book uses simple language to keep the concepts of mindfulness and meditation as accessible as possible. It also contains wit, making it an enjoyable and engaging read.
What we like
- straightforward language
- great for beginners
- engaging read
What to look out for
- more focused on how to mentally approach meditation than a step-by-step guide for meditating
Popular quote: “Pain is inevitable, suffering is not.”
Best for meditation skeptics
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works — A True Story
- Price: $
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
“10% Happier,” written by Dan Harris, is one of the best autobiographies focused on mindfulness and meditation.
Harris began his meditation journey after he had a panic attack on national television in 2004 and realized he needed to make serious changes in his life.
If you’re looking for something funny and relatable that shows the benefits of meditation, “10% Happier” is a good option.
Why we chose it as ‘best for meditation skeptics‘
This book isn’t as much of a self-help book or meditation guide as others on the list, but it’s a great story and may inspire even the biggest skeptics to give meditation a try.
What we like
- firsthand account of the power of meditation
- funny and engaging
- #1 New York Times bestseller
What to look out for
- autobiography, not a self-help book or meditation guide
Popular quote: “Make the present moment your friend rather than your enemy. Because many people live habitually as if the present moment were an obstacle that they need to overcome in order to get to the next moment. And imagine living your whole life like that, where always this moment is never quite right, not good enough because you need to get to the next one. That is continuous stress.”
Best for cultivating happiness
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
- Price: $
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
“The Art of Happiness,” written by the Dalai Lama himself and psychiatrist Dr. Howard Cutler, explores the relationship between happiness, inner peace, and compassion.
Cutler helps the Dalai Lama explain Buddhist teachings on meditation and mindfulness in a more digestible manner and provides insights into the Dalai Lama’s own personal life story.
This book is not as good of a meditation guide or self-help book as other books on our list, but it does provide excellent insights into what happiness can look like and how to go about cultivating it in everyday life.
Why we chose it as ‘best for cultivating happiness‘
If you’re interested in what the Dalai Lama has to say about happiness and to learn more about his life story, this is a great choice that will likely leave you feeling inspired.
What we like
- inspiring
- great insights about cultivating happiness
- includes the life story of the Dalai Lama
What to look out for
- not a step-by-step guide
- can feel more like Cutler’s book than the Dalai Lama’s
Popular quote: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Best for depression
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
- Price: $$
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and John Kabat-Zinn’s book, “The Mindful Way Through Depression,” uses both cognitive therapy techniques and meditation practices to help readers manage their depression.
The book can help you learn how to stay in the present moment and begin to let go of what you cannot control.
A CD also comes with this book that offers guided meditations. This way, you can easily transfer what you learn from the book to the audio meditation sessions.
Why we chose it as ‘best for depression‘
The purpose of this book is to combine Western and Eastern views on depression and happiness to provide a more holistic approach to navigating depression.
What we like
- authors are cognitive therapy and mindfulness experts
- comes with a CD that offers guided meditation
- focuses exclusively on managing depression
What to look out for
- focuses on more than just meditation techniques
Popular quote: “Being mindful means that we suspend judgment for a time, set aside our immediate goals for the future, and take in the present moment as it is rather than as we would like it to be.”
| Book | Best for | Price category | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Power of Now | overall | $ | • paperback • hardcover • Kindle • audiobook |
| The Mind Illuminated | science lovers | $$ | • paperback • Kindle • audiobook • audio CD |
| Mindfulness in Plain English | beginners | $ | • paperback • Kindle |
| 10% Happier | skeptics | $ | • paperback • hardcover • Kindle • audiobook |
| The Art of Happiness | happiness | $ | • paperback • hardcover • Kindle • audiobook |
| The Mindful Way Through Depression | depression | $$ | • paperback • hardcover • Kindle • audiobook • audio CD |
If you didn’t find what you were looking for in this roundup, here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a meditation book:
- Type of meditation. Are you interested in a specific type of meditation? If you’re unsure about what types of meditation exist, consider checking out the FAQs section below.
- Type of content. Are you looking for a book to teach you how to meditate or are you interested in meditation in more general terms? Do you want to learn about its origin and history? Are you interested in a personal story of someone with lived experience?
- Author qualifications. Is it important for you that the author has training in meditation, or are you more interested in hearing from someone who was new to meditation themself?
- Format. Are you interested in reading a hard copy or digital version of the book, or would it be more helpful to listen along?
- Recommendations. What do readers have to say about the book? Did the book come recommended from a trusted friend or mental health expert?
Who should meditate?
Meditation is for anyone interested in trying it out to see whether it may improve well-being. It can benefit children, teens, and adults alike.
Some people may have an easier time making it a habit. Others may find that it doesn’t work for them. For example, some people with specific medical conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience that trying to incorporate mindfulness or meditation into their routine may turn the practice into a compulsion and have a negative effect on mental well-being.
If you’re interested, then the best thing is to try it, stick with it for a few weeks, and decide whether it’s right for you. If you live with a mental health condition and are unsure about how meditation may affect you, consider speaking with your treatment team.
What are the benefits of meditation?
The part of the mind being worked during meditation is primarily emotional and attentional regulation. That’s why
Not only can meditation improve well-being and memory, but it can also physically alter the brain.
For instance, a
Plus, research from 2012 notes that people with depression tend to have a smaller hippocampus.
Although it’s still unclear whether people with depression have a smaller hippocampus because of depression or as a preexisting condition,
You can learn more about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation in our in-depth article.
What types of meditation are there?
You may have heard of guided and unguided meditations. This doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific type of meditation but instead to whether meditations are done with or without guidance:
- Guided meditation. In a guided meditation, a teacher walks you through the practice step by step. This is a great option for beginners.
- Semi-guided meditation. In this type of meditation, the teacher still provides some guidance but to a much lesser degree compared with guided meditations.
- Unguided meditation. You’ll do this type of meditation on your own. You may do it in complete silence or use calming music or nature sounds as a background noise.
Almost all types of meditation can be practiced in a guided, semi-guided, and unguided way. Here are some common types of meditation:
- Mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is about being in the present moment rather than thinking about the past or future. Allow your thoughts to pass without judgment and focus on the here and now.
- Breathing meditation. This is a type of mindfulness meditation that focuses on the breath. It often involves counting or other methods to regulate and focus on slow and deep breathing.
- Reflection. To practice a reflection meditation, you’ll ask yourself a question and focus on how you feel about this question. It isn’t about the thoughts you may have about the question, but about your feelings.
- Walking meditation. As the name suggests, walking meditations are done while walking. You can focus on the things you see, hear, and smell, or on how your body moves.
- Visualization. During a visualization you picture something in your mind, focusing on the effect the image has on your mind and body.
- Yoga meditation. Assorted styles of yoga meditation exist, but most include the Relaxation Pose as a prominent feature, as it helps relax your body.
- Chakra meditation. Chakras are your body’s centers of energy. The goal of chakra meditation is to keep these chakras open and balanced.
Are guided meditations as good as solo meditations?
Guided meditations aren’t “better” or “worse” than solo meditations — or vice versa. It all depends on what works best for you.
Guided meditations are a good way to get started, as they offer narration from a teacher who may help you focus. Some meditators decide to stick with guided meditations long term, while others may prefer to shift to solo, nonguided meditations as they find a specific voice or narrations distracting.
Do meditation books teach you how to meditate?
This depends on the book. Some are workbooks designed to give you a step-by-step introduction to meditation. Others may be more about the philosophy behind meditation.
In our roundup, we tried to give you a bit of variety.
How do I get started with meditation?
It’s a good idea to learn a bit about meditation in general before diving in. Most people then like to start with guided meditations before transitioning to semi-guided or nonguided.
Aside from books, here are a few ways to get you started:
- meditation apps
- guided online meditations
- in-person or online meditation classes
Meditation has been shown to offer a range of science-backed benefits. For example, it may help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Though it cannot replace treatment if you have a diagnosis of a mental health condition, meditation may be an effective complementary tool to help you manage symptoms.
If you’re interested in learning more about meditation and how to do it, meditation books can be a great way to get you started.
While some books on our list are step-by-step self-help books and meditation guides, others are more autobiographical and offer readers inspiration to begin their own mindfulness journey, or simply insights into what meditation and mindfulness are.
Also, some books listed focus solely on Buddhist teachings, while others focus on a range of mindfulness practices.
Last medically reviewed on March 6, 2022
4 sources
- Chételat G, et al. (2018). Why could meditation practice help promote mental health and well-being in aging?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015474/ - Luders E, et al. (2013). Global and regional alterations of hippocampal anatomy in long‐term meditation practitioners.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hbm.22153 - Masi G, et al. (2012). The hippocampus, neurotrophic factors and depression.
link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F11595900-000000000-00000 - Van ‘t Ent D, et al. (2017). Associations between subjective well-being and subcortical brain volumes.
nature.com/articles/s41598-017-07120-z
